ORK Posters

My girlfriend and I visited ORK Posters last night at their main headquarters:

3759 N. Ravenswood Ave, Suite 133
Chicago IL 60613

They are open for the holiday season (Until Wednesday Dec. 23).

Their hours are: Tues-Fri 2-7pm ; Sat + Sun 12-5pm

I highly suggest checking it out! And they have prints with minor problems that are 3 for $20.

Here is a link with more information: http://www.orkposters.com/stores.html

Tools of the Trade III - Designing New Roles

Come out to the AIGA event tonight: Tools of the Trade III - Designing New Roles 

@ The McCormick Tribune Campus Center, IIT

3201 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60616

6pm Reception

6:30-8pm Presentation

I will be at the registration table, come and say hi! 

Here is a link with more information:

http://www.aigachicago.org/node/14148

I hope to see you there! 

A Virtual Walkthrough of our studio!

Here is a virtual look at our studio since we weren't able to cut out walls from our actual studio.

This is our main entrance where you can see models to help visualize the size of 

this loft.

This is our client meet and greet. We discuss business, make drinks, and go over

ideas that range from interior design to photography to logo/branding.

This is a look at our bathroom. The artwork that we currently have

up in our current bathroom isn't on the walls but they are stunning prints 

by Ray Caesar. 

Upstairs is where we get our hands dirty and our eyes strained

from working on long projects. Our Love Sac's were custom made with 

back support so that we aren't in pain every time we try and get up. We

also have really great desk chairs that aren't pictured in this photo. 

The Love Sacs were found to be wonderful for laptop usage, not so much with

desktops.

This is another look at our space we have for client meetings.

I wanted to show our custom accordion-style camera piece in the 

corner by our sofa as well as our vintage fridge and table to the left of the 

fridge. That table is used for showcasing larger projects and showing 3D models

of interior spaces to clients. It moves easily and we couldn't be happier with 

it.

We would love for you to come and visit us. Our studio is located in Wicker Park.

Possibly the best gift ever!

The Facebank!

Please watch as these faces eat your money =D

Can be purchased here 

Give the gift of nerdiness!

I saw this on my facebook this morning. Thank you Photoshop for telling me about these awesome magnets! 

As if staring at the computer screen wasn't enough, now you can stare at the lovely photoshop tools on your fridge as they can hold up your menus, bills, photos... etc.

They can be found at ThinkGeek.com

Oh and I found these really great scarves and coasters for the typography lover!

They can be found at LittleFactory.com

There are no words. Just listen.

His name is Sam Tsui and the guitarist is Kurt Schneider they can be found at:

www.myspace.com/samtsui and  www.myspace.com/kurthugo  

Death Cab way back when

So I found one of my favorite songs by Death Cab before they exploded into what they are today.

The song is "Title Track" off of their We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes album. 

The performance is at the Kirkland Senior Home on March 11, 2000 right before the album released on March 21, 2000.

Finally

The December Issue of Mint Male Magazine was released yesterday at 2-something in the morning. It was 18/19 hours of solid work - from 7am to around 2am just finishing it up yesterday and getting it loaded properly to issuu.com. That was insanely hard...I was having pdf issues. So happy it's finally completed and I can breathe again. So I thought I would share it with all of you and the story behind it. 

Here is the cover of the magazine (feat. Faris as our model for the fashion spread)

The theme of this past fashion shoot was to use two characters and show their inner turmoil with suppressing their sexuality and who they truly are. It starts off with Jennifer calling Faris and he's letting the phone ring while he gets ready for the cocktail party. I filled the room with multiple shots of them in different poses and outfits. There was multiple wardrobe and make-up changes in this shoot and it took around 4 or 5 hours to complete. I panned in on the main party scene to show how other members are looking at the couple in the center that are about to kiss. The spread then leads off to each character on a chair with a different mask. Faris' mask is looking up at him, while Jennifer's mask is falling off her face and exposing her true emotions. The spread then ends with two scenes with each character with someone of the same sex at the end of the party. I used a tripod and remote so that I wouldn't move the camera. Unfortunately the chair in the foreground moves and I didn't even think of it, so in turn I had to cut out each of them individually and create another chair from 2 images. Lots of work. 

For the press release of Tegan and Sara's new album Sainthood. I decided to go from the theme of their new video "Hell" and create a fortune teller and photograph it. 

You can view the rest of the magazine at MintMale.com

You are what you eat.

Monsanto a company known for creating PCBs and Agent Orange is now in control of our food supply. 

This is their commercial showing how they "help" farmers: 

The music, the way it's filmed, and the message are so twisted that they would make the uneducated american think that their company is doing all of this

good. If they only knew how they are putting farmers out of work because they patented a seed with the genetics from another animal kingdom. There is so

much that isn't known about this company and it's because they try to keep it all a big secret.

Here is a video about a story relating the rBGH + rBST hormones to cancer and how it was pulled off of FOX NEWS:

And Europe banned American milk for the same reasons as well as GMO seeds and any food containing it:

Not to mention that a partner company, G.D. Searle and Company, created aspartame that you find in many artificially sweetened foods and beverages

such as Diet Coke. 

"Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965, when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company was testing an anti-ulcer drug." (http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/nutrasweet_scandal.htm)

Aspartame hasn't been fully tested to find any adverse reactions.

Look into this more and don't believe the messages companies send out to you via ads in the media or print. Research it for yourself, your health, and

the environment.

Monsanto is the furthest company from being a green company.

This is a great resource for information on GMOs:

ResponsibleTechnology.org

Here is where you can find a helpful shopping guide with companies that are non-GMO: 

ShoppingGuide

Doctors are also against the consumption of GMOs, please read this for information:

Permaculture.org

"Shut up butt!"

I saw this commercial yesterday evening and was confused as to what they were advertising for... bra, underwear, gym, a good plastic surgeon?

Turns out that Reebok is advertising its shoes in this commercial and supposedly they will shape your butt and legs. I highly doubt you will get a body like

that from walking around. You will need to workout constantly to achieve that kind of physique.

This is a way to make females look like an object, something for men to drool over, and who are these shoes marketed toward? Oh yes, women!

Definitely could've fooled me with this commercial.

What do you think?

Chicago Christmas Classics

Wow. Well it's been a while since my last blog since I've been sick with some sort of sinus infection that is hanging onto dear life even though the antibiotics are trying to destroy it. The constant temperature and moisture changes everyday are just making things worse.

On a positive note, Christmas is coming very soon and what better way to show that than with Hardrock, Coco and Joe, Suzie Snowflake, and Frosty the Snowman. 

These short stop motion animated cartoons were introduced in the early 1950s.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Think Green

So I was looking at two separate USDA organic egg cartons today. 

Meijer brand on the left and an Amish mennonite brand on the right.

Look at how much plastic is wasted on the Meijer brand in comparison to the carton the Amish company is using.

For USDA organic eggs one would think that the company should also use environment friendly packaging. Apparently, Meijer wants to use massive amounts of plastic to protect those eggs of theirs when it would be so much easier to use an egg carton and then reuse it again. 

Something to think about.

Photos on the web

I took this photo of Melissa Ivey in August of this year when I just got my new lighting system in the mail that day. She was my guinea pig to start and this shot came at the end of the shoot, probably around 1am. We concluded that if those pillows weren't in the left portion of the photo it would've ruined the composition. 

You should check her out at www.melissaivey.com

Here are some more photos from the shoot

Environmentally Aware Studios

While researching different design firms, there are two that really stood out in comparison to others. They are studios that design to help make the environment/world a better place.

1. Firebelly Design: Chicago, IL

Good Design For Good Reason.

Check them out at www.firebellydesign.com



2. Free Range Studios: Washington, D.C. + Berkeley, CA

Creativity with a Conscience.

Check them out at www.freerangestudios.com
And also at their youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FreeRangeStudios

Can I get a stache with that drink?

These mustaches attached to the bottle so when you go to drink from the bottle you have a mustache. I want to own these. I'm still in the process of finding out where I can purchase and when I find out I will update this.

I got this from adapt-studio.blogspot.com

so cool.

Animated Michael Jackson Logo

I was looking on www.adapt-studio.com 's blog today and came across this well designed moving logo created after Michael Jackson's death by BBDO Germany for Mtv.

I love how the incorporated the ribbon with his legs.

Check out the full version at:
http://www.bbdo.de/de/home/presse/aktue/2009/mtv_und_bbdo_verneigen.popup.flash.Par.0002.html

The New Caffeine

These packets are fabulous energizers. I used them yesterday during my 9 hour photo shoot and they definitely helped to give me a boost. I've decided to eat a lot healthier in order to think clearer and cleanse the toxins in my body. Less than $10 for 75 packets.

Try them

What does this say?

Another sign I noticed while driving around in the suburbs. I still don't know what this sign reads. It's some sort of Italian restaurant that apparently does Dine In-Carry Out.

Legibility is huge... the people who created this did not take that into consideration.

2 Identities 1 Company

While driving in suburbia this past weekend I noticed 2 separate type faces with 2 separate meanings for the same company. The company is called Reed Lawn & Leisure.

This is the view of the two signs together from the road.


This is the sign closest to the road. The typeface is rather futuristic, which is odd for this type of company.


This is the building with a typeface that reminds me of wood block type.

Two completely different feels for the same company.
Not a good idea to post the same wording in different typefaces on the same property.

It's like Wikipedia for Type

I stumbled upon this new finding from Firebelly Design's blog about an hour ago.
It's a great resource that places typefaces into different classifications like blackletter, script, sans serif, ornamental... etc.

Love the concept! Anyone can join and add or edit typefaces on this site.

Check it out at Typedia.com

Inspiration from Dental Mannequins.

I had no idea that these existed.
I love the concept of just the mouth, metal for a skull, and pole for a neck.
They have a very industrial feeling to them.
Dentists in training won't have a problem with shattering mannequin heads with these!

Source: Blog.Makezine.com

i went to the SOFA event at navy pier. i found this chair pretty cool.

Featured on National Equality March

Mint Male Magazine was just featured on the National Equality March page on Facebook and Joey, the founder of Mint Male, was just emailing back and forth with Robin McGehee an hour ago and she loves the magazine and the 50 page spread on the march. I am so happy. Just thought I would share.



T-Rex

Fresh off the Presses

These past couple of days have been spent on my computer wrapping things up to have the November issue of Mint Male Magazine done yesterday before 9pm (deadline). It was an awesome month. We all went to Washington DC to cover the National Equality March in early October. We received press passes, photographed the event, and met a lot of great people. The march was so full of energy and I tried to capture that visually so that you could also experience it and see how many people were really there (around 250,000). It was such an amazing experience minus the 26 hour car ride driving to DC and back. The premiere of our first issue was a success and things are only getting better. A lot of time, sweat, and hours were put into the 132 page magazine that was launched late last night and I would love for all of you to check it out and give me your full critique on my work. Also, if you have any ideas, suggestions, or pieces we could add to future issues I would love to hear them.

Here are a couple of tear sheets from this issue:

November Cover- Lady Gaga at NEM

Political Fashion Spread- I played off of the reflection of objects each

model was wearing.

National Equality March spread

Thanksgiving spread

The rest of the magazine can be viewed on Issuu.com

www.issuu.com/mintmale/docs/november09

I hope everyone is having a great week! 

Oh and never decide to cook a pizza at 2am while extremely tired... I woke up at 3:30am to smoke and had to air out my kitchen all night. So happy the smoke alarm didn't wake up my entire building. 

T-Rex